[Monolith]

2 Nights ago, while i prepared myself to go to bed after a long day i thought about a Manga i'm reading these days...
It's about War, Robots, Cyborgs and thing like that and i thought about how i would draw a Killermachine...
I've started to draw a quick sketch of it but then stopped, started my PC again and made a LowPoly model of it so i could remember the most important things for the next day...

That's the result:


All the weapons ( machineguns, rockets, grenades, etc... ) are in upper part of his 2 big shoulderpacks ( which can open )
In the lower part of them are 2 smaller arms... The round thing on his back is some kind of back armor and a jetpack for jumps...
He's supposed to be damn quick and a close combat machine for groundoperations only with the already mentioned wepons for targets he can't reach by his own...

What do you think of the first concept? �:]

Mhh... Already started with the legs:

For the movement of the legs ( all 5 are the same for the moment ) i decided to make them with steel cables and breakes
( like the one from cars ) which is something really new compared to the hydraulics from most robots i know...
Going to add some small OMS engines to every leg as an addition to the jetpack on his back...

[Thrak]

Looks good!

Kinda reminds me of the head evil guy in Monsters Inc...?

Just a small problem with the stick holding the torso and legs together, looks a little odd?

[Fredrik]

it looks like he's smiling.. The head could look cooler, maybe take away the mouthlike underjaw would do alot. Otherwise A great and supercool robot!

[Monolith]

@ Thark:
Was'nt ment to look like that guy from Monsters Inc. The first ide was one with 3 legs which kinda sucked in my head and 6 legs was too normal... So i did him with 5 legs.
His spinal will be a little bit thicker in the final end but not that much cause he should be very flexible machine...

@ Fredrik:
He's not supposed to smile... he don't even have a mouth ( for what? Smalltalk? ROFL! )
Since i don't know how the head will look like in the end it's even a surprise for me

Latest update ( red is LowPoly ):

[Indo]

when will i b able 2 do that kinda stuff ? n e way, looks great, plz update soon. by the way, can u post the 2d version?

[Monolith]

@ Indo:
If you learn modeling as fast as i did and you start today you will do models like this in 3-4 months

Mhh... The sketch i started is already in the wastebucked... Anyway... it was just a Profile view of the chest from top... Nothing impressive...

Latest Update ( red is LowPoly ):

[Monolith]

Latest Update ( red is LowPoly ):

I wanted to have him 2 other helping hands but caused by the lack of space in his shoulders i ended up with 2 plasmacutters... ( Burn baby! Burn! )
Still not 100% finished ( missing some details )

[ August 16, 2002: Message edited by: Monolith ]

[FalConTear]

very cool stuff monolyth the details rock cant wait to see this model finnished

[Monolith]

@ FalConTear:
Yeah... Me too!

Latest update:


PolyCount is 199'200

[DeepFish]

this is so cool, to see the whole process in action... from the first 3D "sketch" where you have just a few blocks and cylinders to establish the shape, and how it transforms into more and more complex robot.

[Monolith]

@ DeepFish:
Hehehe... Mabe i should name the next Topic: "From 2'500polys to 250'000polys in a week"

Latest update:

PolyCount is 227'200 ( it's lagging me down! And it takes a hell of time to render it now >_< )

[Electro]

That is absolutely incredible... although I think the hands are a bit out of place..

Edit: On 2nd look the hands are fine.. I meant those 2 big bars coming from above the hands.. their tip is a bit odd looking.. what's their purpose?

[ August 18, 2002: Message edited by: Electro ]

[Monolith]

@ Electro:
You're talking about the 2 smaller arms that can hide in the shoulders?
If you do i have to say those hands are the head of Plasmacutters... ( looks like a lightsword of Starwars )
If you don't i have to say the big arms are still in work...

[Electro]

I meant the big arms actually.

But if they're still being worked on, it doesn't really matter..

[mitch]

Thats way nice man. I model too and what you did is inspirational. It was good to see it develop too, so thanks for postin it like that. I was wondering what program u use. That render is also nice. Is it a plugin renderer? Good lighting and stuff too. U got bones hooked up to all those crazy arms and stuff or have you been using hierarchys to move stuff around? Awesome awesome.

[Monolith]

@ Electro:
^-^

@ mitch:
Since Saturday i use 3DS Max 5.0 with its own render system... Before Saturday i used 3DS Max 4.2 with the public Brazil test renderer...
Actually i let the mesh be theyr own bones... ( saves alot of work for me )

OKAY GUY'S! IT'S DONE!

Last update ( with highres desktop version )

( click picture! )

[DeepFish]

i like the old spikes/armor on the legs better, but the bigger arms, are AWESOME now.

[Odie]

Great detail! There are no feet though.

I wasn't too sure about this pic at the beginning of the post but now I must admit that it looks pretty sick.

("sick" is west coast lingo for "fucking awesome")

[Blind Tree Frog]

Very sick indeed. I love the piece and how you posted it. I didn't see much mention on your comments about what it is supposed to be though so if i may.......

quote:

---

All the weapons ( machineguns, rockets, grenades, etc... ) are in upper part of his 2 big shoulderpacks ( which can open )
In the lower part of them are 2 smaller arms... The round thing on his back is some kind of back armor and a jetpack for jumps...
He's supposed to be damn quick and a close combat machine for groundoperations only with the already mentioned wepons for targets he can't reach by his own...

---

He's got 5 legs, that may make it difficult to make him fast (At least with how the legs are arranged), but it would make him incredibly stable on many types of terrain. I would use that to his advantage and give him very large powerfull guns (Atillery or a guass cannon or six if you know BattleTech at all) and/or very large arms to grapple with when he does get in close (as you did)

I might also focus on the leg strength and jumping you hinted at. Make it so it doesn't so much as scramble towards the enemy across the battlefield as pounce upon it. A quick death from above, pin it, get the arms on it and dump a silo of ammo into it's cockpit.

The pointed feet would be ideal for this as it would sink in and damage the enemy, but it wouldn't work so well on soft terrain where he might get stuck... Might a jack knife stle leg work maybe? If ascii shows this correctly:

Mech here -->
--------+
..........| <--- foot there
........./
......../ (ignore the periods)
......./
when he is walking and standing, and when he wants to use his legs on something, the "toe" snaps forward with a sharp tip

Mech ---> ----------+----- <---- enemy here

Does that make sense? If you ever played Panzer dragoon Saga, the monsters in the beginning is what i'm thinking of (only example I can think of....if need be i can sketch something rough up and post it)

Amazing work though. Thank you much for showing this to us.

[ August 20, 2002: Message edited by: Blind Tree Frog ]

[Monolith]

@ DeepFish:
Well... Not everyone can be satisfied...

@ Odie:
Hehe... Yo dude! Thanks! ^-^

@ Blind Three Frog:
Spiders and crabs can be really quick runners from what i can remember... Some spiders even jump ( bunnyhopper!! ) to attack theyr victims... That was my basic thought of his movement...
Btw... His legs can turn to the side on the joints connected to the pelvis!
Dude i LOVE the Battletech Universe!!!
Hmm... In my first idea of him about his weapons i had the idea about some kind of "Mass-Driver" mounted on his back that works like the "Solenoid Quench Gun" in GUNNM ( some pictures ) but somehow i didn't implemented it because of the idea of the close combat thing...
Maybe i'll do it...

Uhm... About the ASCII... I don't understand anything... ROFL!
You really should do a small sketch! ^-^�

Here some other pics...

[Blind Tree Frog]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Monolith:
@ Blind Three Frog:
Spiders and crabs can be really quick runners from what i can remember... Some spiders even jump ( bunnyhopper!! ) to attack theyr victims... That was my basic thought of his movement...
Btw... His legs can turn to the side on the joints connected to the pelvis!

---

Yeah, but their legs aren't evenly spaced 72 degrees aparent. Although if he lifted one leg and started scurrying......hmmm...I guess that could work. I'm all for the pouncing though. Death From Above is a gift from the gods.

Since I can speak in Battletech terms... The guass cannon might work then. Two, one on each shoulder, and make them either fold back (pointing up) or just seperate and fall off for close combat. Pop a few shots off at them at a distance. Hit them hard and when they are disoreinted and confused, get in there quickly and pull them apart with the arms.

I sketched up something in 2 seconds, but i can't seem to connect to my website to upload. I'll try again later. Or I'll mail or something.

edit:------


OK, if this doesn't work I'll have to spend some time being good and drawing something detailed rather then a 30 second job on my lap top.

This would be the normal walking/standing/jumping/whatever leg. The blue connects to the pevlis, the red being the main spikey part you have as the leg/foot, the green being a toe/heel of sorts, and the pink being sharp and pointy to poke things (or slash). When standing on terrain and what not, he walks around on the gree toe. It's flat and wide so he won't have to worry about a pointed foot (as he currently has) sinking into the ground. Plus the pointed tip can remain sharp as it isn't grinding into the ground.


Same color code. But now the pointy part is extended to attack. It swings out like a side loading switchblade.

It would make the legs bulkier as he would have something folding under them, but he gets past any issues he might have with soft terrain and what not. Plus you could add some boosters in the green cell to help with any jumping he might do if you were so inclined.

[ August 21, 2002: Message edited by: Blind Tree Frog ]

[Blind Tree Frog]

True, and constant pouncing as a movement would annoy the pilot too.....

Now stalking around the battlefield, keeping an enemy pinned with constant barrage of firepower, and then pouncing on him when you are in range (and something like this would have a hell of a range I'd wager).


I do like this piece though. Had no idea those were boosters though. my bad.b

[Monolith]

@ Blind Tree Frog:
Hmm... Yes... As an attack move the "Death From Above" is really the best option but pouncing all the time is just lame! ( reminds me of old CS & TFC days ^-^ )

Hmm... IF i add a weapon like a Gauss to him it will be only one, able to pack up like the other weapons in a save case...

Jo dude... The idea with the hidden blade in the leg is really not bad... Maybe something for another project like this! �_�

Talking about boosters on his legs...

already did them ^.^

[DamageX]

Monolith, would you mind providing more detail on the render settings you used? I really like the model as well as the renders. I'm very new so I'm not that adept at rendering yet.

Thanks!

[Monolith]

@ Blind Tree Frog:
There's no pilot... ^-^

@ DamageX:
Here the Infos:

This is for 3DS Max 5.0 ONLY!!! ( because of its lightning features... )

For a render scene like this you need:
- And for outdoorscenes a cube with it's sides flipped ( so the visible ones are inside ) AND!!! The sides you don't see HAVE to be deleted!!! ( Picture )
- A Skylight in the center of the scene with Multiplyer = 2.0 ( Picture ) and Skycolor R: 225, G: 230, B: 255 ( Picture )
- Your model placed in a corner of the cube
- The "Lightscape Material" on all the Objects ( in Material Browser select a free spot and change it's "Ambient" and "Diffuse" to white, click on the button "Standard" ( Picture ) and choose the "Lightscape Mtl" ( Picture ) but keep the old material as a sub-material ( Picture ) and in the "Basic Parameters" check "Exterior Scene" ( Picture )

Now some Settings:
- In the main Toolbar move to "Rendering" > "Advanced Lightning..." ( Picture )
- From the Dropdownlist select "Light Tracer" ( Picture ) and check the "Activate" box! ( Picture )

Now you can render ( takes quite some time... )

[DamageX]

Thanks! I really appreciate the info.